Excavating machine



li 1931. 4 A. EILERSGAARD 1,817,809

EXCAVATING MACHINE v Filed Jan. 13. 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 4, 1931. A. EILERSGAARD 1,817,809

EXCAVATING MACHINE Filed Jan. 15, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 VH1] I I l L lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllmmflflflflllliml ll awwm Patented Aug. 4, 1931 .ASGER EILERSGAARD,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO LINK-BELT COMPANY, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS EXCAVATING nncnmn Application filed January 13, 1928. Serial No. 246,429.

My. invention relates to improvements in excavating machinery and has for one ob ect to provide'a new-and improved type of shovel or excavating machine of the caterpillar sup- Uported type wherein the cross sectional area I of the machine may be reduced for shipment without entirely dismantling the apparatus to a size which falls within the standard railroad clearance. Another object of my invention is to provide a device wherein the relatively wide caterpillar treads which must necessarily be used during-the operation of the machine may be convieniently and easily removed and there may be substituted for.

them a relatively narrow. caterpillar tread wide enough to support the load of the machine during shipment, Another object isto provide a supporting mechanism with which there may be interchangeably used wide working treads and narrow shipping treads. Other objects will appear from time'to time in the specification and claims.

My invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation Figure2 is an end view with the apparatus rigged for working; Figure 3 is an end view-with the apparatus rigged for shipping;

. Figure 4 is a detail side elevation showing the machine in the act ofmoving from the working track to the shi ping track;

Figure ,5jis' a section a ong the line 5-5 of Figure 1; y

Figure 6 is a section along the line 6-6 of Figure 4;.

Figure 308.18 along the line 7-7 of Figure 1;

Figure 8 is a detail along the same line as Figure 7 showing the parts in the collapsed position. 7

Like arts are indicated by like characters throughout the specification anddrawings- A is a crawler frame. Projecting from this crawler frame are a series of crawler supporting brackets A. terminating in stub axles A. A is a transmission housing car- I ried by the frame; projecting from this transmission housing are driving shafts A.

rollers. The tracks A? 7 is a detail section on an enlargedv the driving sprocket A, thls crawler track being continuous.

It will be'noted that the brackets A and their stub end shafts A extend out far enough so that these rollers may en age the central portion of the relatively wid this track being as muchas thirty-six inches wide, there being one track on either side of the machine. The transmission from the power source and the control of the tracks for stopping, starting or driving form no part of my invention and are not here illustrated or described. v

I B is a shipping crawler track, the links of which are much narrower than the links of the track A, perhaps only fourteen or six-- teen inches in width. These tracks, there being one on each side of the apparatus aresubstantially the width e track,

only of the supporting rollers. It will be noted that these tracks also be sufiicient to. have merely a length of shipping track on each side only long enough to carry the vehicle without having the tracks extending up around the-upper sides of the and the tracks B are made up of separate articulated track link sections. These sections are held together by pins B in thecase of the links forming the track A and b similar pins B in the case of the links forming the tracks B. In each case the links are ofthe same diameter and the ar- 'ticulated portions of the links are such that a link forming the track B may be pinned to a link forming the track A so that it is possible to disconnect the working track A, take out a pin B of the upper links, couple to one end of the workin track supporting the apparatusa section 0 shipping track and move the machine by its own power from the working track onto the shipping track. If desired theshippingltrack may be laid on a railroad car and anc ored and the machine can draw itself into position or if desired a complete shipping track'maybe substituted for the working track and the machine. may be maneuvered from place to place on some roads as it is'loaded or unloaded on the car. This is C travel along this track and support the working platform C. A pinion C extends down from the workingplatform to mesh fill t here shown within thehousing C on the working platform to operate this pinion to itself. The rear end of the working platform C is provided with a storage pocket C in which the separate links forming the working track may be stored so that these links when the machine is in o eration may be used as counterbalance weig ts to counterbalance the boom and the load carried by it, thus making it unnecessary to provide any separate counterbalance weights and since the cost of the links is little more than the cost of the coun- {tGl'bfllil-IICG weights the expense of these links is negligible; v

' It will be noted that the housing C comes at th top to a relatively sharp corner. This sharp corner is built up of two separate panels D D. The panel D being relatively narrow and over and in continuation of the roof D the panel D being wider than and having a'curved corner Dabout a-relativel short radius. These panels D D are rein orced by a series of angle irons D D.

and when in the working position the end of the iron D is "attached to the end of the iron D by bolts D as indicated, thus affording clearance inside the working housing for the operator as he moves about the machinery. For shipping the bolts D are removed. The member D is moved inwardly about the pivot D beneath the member D. The memabout the member D to rest upon tie plate D bringingthe bolt holes D in the angleirons D into. register with the bolt holes at. the ends of the irons D", thusleaving the working house Q closed but in efwith the ring gear C and means are provided feet knocking ofi its. upper corners, taking away from the inside the necessary working clearance but giving onthe outside a contour which falls within standard railroad clearances.

The boom C is supported by means of a cable E which extends from a supporting mast or A-frame. One arm of the A-frame E is pivoted at the front end of the working platform C. The other link of the Aframe E may be selectively pivoted on the abutment E. This abutment has a'plurality of holes E E and a wrist pin E may be placed through either the holes E or E to support the rear end of the link E When the wrist pin engages the holes E the apex of the A- frame is raised above the roof into normal working position. When the wrist pin engages the frame A the A-frame is lowered into a point level wit-h the roof of the cab C and falls then within the normal railroad clearance but it does this while still providing an anchorage for the cable E so that the boom may still be supported.

.The purpose of this mast or A-frame is to furnish a maximum amount of support to I the boom and therefore for carrying loads it is essential that the apex of this roof be above the cab but for maneuvering and shipping When no work is being done the boom will not be lowered by the position on the A-frame. v

In order to take care of conditions where an exceptionally long boom is used, it is someof course be removed for shipment and the fact that they have been used would in no Way limit the downward adjustment ofv the apex of the maiuA-frame to withdraw it inside railroad clearance lines. the panel D1 in continuation of the wall D It will be obvious that the mechanism drag line excavator, a crane, a shovel or any device which involves a boom or similar element projecting from the working platform for the purpose of lifting loads on excavating or conveying machinery and where in the claims I have used language directed to excavating machines or lifting machines or pliedto an excavating machine or crane and while I have for the purpose of illustration referred to it in terms of such a device manitinua'tion therew t in size in terms of form,

the wall and means for and rotating them can be collapsed so as 'to reduce it to smaller cross sectional area for shipment or other purposes than the normal cross sectional area of the machine. I wish that my claims be regarded as being equally applicable to any device wherein such collapsibility appears. Moreover, I have referred to the reduction railroad clearance'asthese are clearances that are known to all andfixed and standard. -'Obviously it might be desirable to have a machine which was of greater orless size than this, which could be reduced from its working size to predetermined clearance dimensions Iv claim:

1. In a portable machine, a working plata cahsupported upon and enclosing it having generally vertical walls and, a generally horizontal top, the top and the walls adjacent the upper longitudinal corners of ,the cab comprising separate panels, one

panel hinged to the top, the other hinged to holding the panels in intersecting relation to form the corners of the cab, means -for disconnecting the panels inwardly to bring the supporting the panels in such position, the

panels being adapted to be rotated inwardly into a line generally parallel with an imaginary line joining the edge of the fixed roof and the wall, a panel pivoted on the roof and adapted to extend therebeyond generally in continuation therewith toward the wall,

means for supporting such panel in position,

be rotated down- Wardly into a line generally parallel with 1 such panel being adapted to the panels pivoted on the walls.

5. In a portable machine, a working platform, a cab thereupon having a fixed roof, and fixed walls, there being an opening between them, panels associated with the roof and the wall adapted to close said opening in general continuation of the roof andthe wall, said panels being movable when collapsed into a generally straight line joining the 'fixed roof and the fixed wall to reduce the clearance of the cab. v

Signed at Chicago, county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 11th day of January,

ASGER EILERSGAART).

- roof panel into parallelism with and overlying the wall panel I panels bein'gadapted to be rotated inw natingwithin' and above closure for the cab when in the collapsed position-.-

, 2. In a portable machine, a workingpla tform, a cab upon the platform having a'fixed to provide a continuous walls, apaneLpivotedton'the roofand adapt-' "e1 =such-iposition,

the top of the fixed- 3. In a portable ma form, a cab thereupo and fixed walls,.'.the within and above the to panels pivoted on f theiwalls' and "adapted oof terminating tion therewith toward the-:j-roof, means f0 supporting thefpanels in such-position,

into a line generally parallel with an imaginary line joining the edge otthe roof and the wallf- .1111 a P r ab 2m 4. .11 form, a' cabithereupo within and above the tops ofthe'fixed -walls panels pivoted on the walls and"adapted-tof generally in continua;- i tion therewith" toward the roof, means. for.-

extend therebeyond ardly eyond, lgenerally in com Y .wai'dvthe wall, means ufotgted down I an: an imag a T Y avlnga fixed root 

